Process for purifying hydrocarbons.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, FELIX BICHTER, OF FRANKI'ORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR PURIFYING HYDROUARBONS No Drawing.

Te all whom it may concern 3 Be it known that l, FELIX RICHTER, a

citizen of the German Empire, residing at of liquid hydrocarbons especially petroleum and bcnzol as well as terpenes etc. and

lid

- instance fine ashes; In order to secure has an exceedingly fine grain; a carconsists therein, that the hydrocarbons are subjected to combined treatment with finely divided carbon adapted to condense gases on its surface and oxygen containing gases such as air or with pure oxygen. As the result of such treatment of the hydrocarbons oxygen is condensed at the surface of the car bon and produces strong oxidizing effects on the impurities present in the hydrocarbons, including the sulfur and nitrogen containing impurities, ifpresent in the hydrocarbon to, be purified, destroying in this way said impurities, whereas the hydrocarbons themselves remain substantially unchanged.

The purifying process is carried out in such a manner that theimpure raw mate rials are mined with some kind of finel divided active carbon adapted to con ence gases on its surface, whereupon the minture is broughtginto thorough contact with the gas containing oxygen, by using shaking devices, blowers or other suitab e devices. The purifying action becomes at once perceptible by a violent generation of gases among which sulfurous acid becomes most clearly noticeable owing to its smell. lnall cases only a small percentage by weight of the active carbon is needed in order to in sure the desired action. After suilicient action of the carbon, the carbon to ether with adhering impurities is allows to settle whereupon the hydrocarbons are freed from the solid particles which have not settled by simple filtration.

its active carbon one of the lnuown lrinds of carbon may be used such as bone black, bloooh carbon or charcoal. El ery good results have.

been obtained by means. of active'carbon which had been manufactured by distillin a mixture of natural fuels and of miners matter which contains at the same time lime and clay. huitable mineral matter 'is for results carbon should be employed w ich bonaceous material which excellently complies with this requirement is the carbon powder-which is formed by the handling of coal in 'briqueting factories. tiluch carbon powder is not only very cheap because it is an inconvenient waste material in briqueting flClLOIlGS, but is of highest activity. This carbonaceous material consists of the carbon particles which, owing to their exceeding fineness and light weight, fill the air of the briquet factory and are filtered out from the air by the use of very fine filter cloths and water-jet blowers. in the ordinary manufacture of briquets, the briquets are dried and ground and the fine material above referred to is produced by these operations The peculiar activity of this fine carbon difiers from that made from ordinary ground coal, because it is thought that the fine dust produced in the briquct works has Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 1 113 2, 1914, Application filed November at, 1am. Serial No. teases.

its origin in the finely-divided resins origi? nally contained in the carbonized plants, and in the very tender or fine cellular fabrics of leaves, needles, vegetable pith or me dull'a and similar parts of the plant. 'lthese finer carbon particles separate, owing to the vibrations of the machinery in the manufacture ofbriduets, from' the heavier carbon particles produced froin the tougher cellular substance of the wood. 1

lfhe activefinely-divided carbon which is used in accordance with the invention condenses, on the surface of its particles, the air or oxygen-containing gases introduced into the liquid. By such condensation the ouygen of the air obtains higher activity and becomes adapted under the simultaneous influence of the hydrocarbons 'toproduce a strong onidation of the impurities of the hydrocarbons and under certain conditions, especially if the hydrocarbons are present in the form of terpenes, to further erudite a small part of the hydrocarbons themselves. However this oxidation of the hydrocarbons themselves which talres placeunder certain conditions affects only a smallpart of the hydrocarbons and does not materially influence the purifying eflect. By the said oxidation, especially the colloidal substances taining impurities are present, as is the case if the material to be purified consists of petroleum, then these impurities are likewise oxidized and made innocuous. If thematerial to be puritiedconsists of terpenes, then .the vegetable slimy substances contained therein and the resin-like substances due to intermediate stages of oxidation are further oxidized and mostly eliminated in the form of resin-like bodies adhering to the carbon particles.

In every kind of hydrocarbons the puritying effect depends on the same principles, viz., activation of oxygen under the influence of condensation on the carbon particles within the hydrocarbons and oxidation of the impurities by such activated oxygen and elimination of the oxidized impurities either by direct falling to bottom by adhering to the carbon particles in consequence of their surface-attracting property.

If it is intended to purify crude petroleum this may be done according to this invention as follows: The oil which is to be purified is intermixed with the above-mentioned artificially-manufactured active carbon in such a manner that for each two liters of crude oil, seventy grams-of carbon are taken, and during twelve minutes finely-divided air is blown into the oil-carbon mixture. At the end of this period a further portion of active carbon, seventy grams of carbon to each two liters of oil, is added, and the blowing with finely-divided air is continued for further twenty-eight minutes. If now the blower is shut 0E, then the carbon impregnated and laden with the impurities quickly falls to bottom in the fprm of a tar-like ill-smelling mass. The oil over the tar-like mass is colorless, completely free of water and is after simple filtration, immediately ready for use. After the filtration the oil has only a slight somewhat aromatical smell. The purified oil, if used for lighting purposes, gives during many hours the same light intensity without producing a bad smell and burns with a completely odorless flame. On extinction of the flame only a slight odor is perceived and the lamp-chimney remains clear even after a long duration of burning.

ing the mixture while in thorough contact with oxygen-containing gases.

2. A process for purifying liquid hydrocarbons, consisting in mixing them with finely-divided active carbon, the said active carbon consistin of the residue obtained by I the dry distillation of a mixture of natural fuel and mineral matter containing clay and lime, and then agitating the mixture while in thorough contact with oxygen-containing gases.

3. A process for purifying liquid hydrocarbons, consisting in mixing them with finely-d1vided active carbon, bringing the mixture into thorough contact with oxygencontaining gases by blowing the finely-divided gases through the mixture, permitting the finely-divided carbon with the adhering.

impurities to settle, and then removing the oil from the settled material.

4. Av process for purifying crude petroleum, consisting in mixing therewith finelydivided active carbon, bringing the mixture into thorough contact with oxygen-containing gases by blowing the finely-divided gases through the mixture, permitting the finelydivided carbon with the adhering impurities to settle, and then removing the oil from the settled material.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FELIX RICHTER.

Witnesses JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND. 

